Located on the southern coast of Australia, where it’s the capital of the region of Victoria, Melbourne is a beautiful and adventurous city to visit. It’s known to those who have traveled there for a great many things, but the all-encompassing way to put it is that it’s simply a very fun city. It’s not all about sights or museums, pub-hopping or a national park – it’s simply a multi-faceted destination in one of the most fascinating places on Earth.

Still, it helps to have some specific motivation to go to a place, so here are a few particular reasons why you might want to visit Melbourne one day.

The Coffee Is World Class

Coffee might not seem like the most logical place to start, but this isn’t just any coffee. Back in 2014, Melbourne was actually voted the world’s best place for coffee, beating out more traditional hot spots like Rome and Vienna, not to mention some popular production places such as Colombia. As you might imagine, coffee that good isn’t just tucked away in a few little shops. Rather, it’s spawned a lovely café culture that exists throughout the city, such that one of the most charmed experiences you can have is simply finding a cheerful, trendy venue and sitting down for a hot mug.

Sydney may have the iconic Opera house, Mardi Gras glitz, and some celebrity chefs, yet Melbourne can lay claim to Australia’s only inclusion on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants In the World list–Chef Ben Shewry’s avant-garde, farm-to-table hotspot Attica. Melbourne also has the honor of being a repeat title holder of World’s Most Livable City.

The dining scene here is simply incredible, thanks in no small part to the bounty of produce and wines resulting from the Victoria region’s climate (“four seasons in a day,” locals like to say), a burgeoning crop of under-the-radar innovative chefs, a teeming craft coffee culture, and strong multi-cultural influences.

From Melbourne’s downtown (CBD) and its famed, labyrinthine laneways to hipster hoods Fitzroy and Collingwood, amazing new spots are cropping up everywhere. Openings and reboots are routinely chronicled on chic “what’s on” website, Broadsheet, while annual tome The Age Good Food Guide keeps tabs on the best and brightest. A tastings-filled food tour is always a good idea, and the excellent and sassy Monique Bayer’s Walk Melbourne offers superb 3-hour expeditions covering coffee, chocolate, dumplings, rooftop bars, and more from $53-up. You can even try some modern Aussie cuisine from New York or Los Angeles in Qantas’ business class where the menus are by Neil Perry, whose high-profile Rockpool can be found at Melbourne’s Crown casino complex.

Sydney may have the iconic Opera house, Mardi Gras glitz, and some celebrity chefs, yet Melbourne can lay claim to Australia’s only inclusion on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants In the World list–Chef Ben Shewry’s avant-garde, farm-to-table hotspot Attica. Melbourne also has the honor of being a repeat title holder of World’s Most Livable City.

The dining scene here is simply incredible, thanks in no small part to the bounty of produce and wines resulting from the Victoria region’s climate (“four seasons in a day,” locals like to say), a burgeoning crop of under-the-radar innovative chefs, a teeming craft coffee culture, and strong multi-cultural influences.

From Melbourne’s downtown (CBD) and its famed, labyrinthine laneways to hipster hoods Fitzroy and Collingwood, amazing new spots are cropping up everywhere. Openings and reboots are routinely chronicled on chic “what’s on” website, Broadsheet, while annual tome The Age Good Food Guide keeps tabs on the best and brightest. A tastings-filled food tour is always a good idea, and the excellent and sassy Monique Bayer’s Walk Melbourne offers superb 3-hour expeditions covering coffee, chocolate, dumplings, rooftop bars, and more from $53-up. You can even try some modern Aussie cuisine from New York or Los Angeles in Qantas’ business class where the menus are by Neil Perry, whose high-profile Rockpool can be found at Melbourne’s Crown casino complex.

We are proud to announce that the 7th annual Space Coast Pride will be held on Sunday, May 25, 2014 at Wickham Pavilion, 3701 N Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32935.

Space Coast Pride started in 2007 as a small picnic and has grown to become one of the most respected pride events in Florida. It has drawn people from all over the state and across the country, as well as overseas.

I fully expected to be greeted by a throbbing crowd of Hemsworths when I got off the plane at Melbourne Tullamarine airport a few months ago. There are still plenty of hotties to stare at…

Unlike its sister city and rival for tourists attention Sydney, Melbourne doesn’t scream gay. It simply comments on it every now and then without over stating. I think the best way of describing gay Melbourne is to picture how gay you are throughout the week. If Sydney is you being gay on a Saturday, Melbourne is how gay you are on Monday. You’re still plenty gay but you’re less likely to be dancing in a parade in skin tight silver hot pants on a Monday … Less likely but still could be.

So the gay things you enjoy mid week are what Melbourne has to offer in spades! Fantastic restaurants, a barrage of cafes on every street corner, wine bars and wineries, spas, museums, theatres, concert halls and festivals. Melbourne is everything a trendy gay could ever want.

Couples will love Melbourne. It’s a cultural city with a cosmopolitan vibe that’s only second in size to Sydney. It’s eclectic and diverse neighbourhoods just beg to be explored and the city boasts countless things to see and do that even couples with differing tastes can both enjoy.

Located in the state of Victoria on Australia’s far southern coast, Melbourne is a city that is packed with interesting architecture, lovely little cafes, museums, markets, parks and a fantastic choice of bars, restaurants and clubs to suit all tastes and budgets.

Melbourne is an international and vibrant city that knows how to show its visitors a good time, with festivals, sporting and theatrical events throughout the year. As an international city, flights to Melbourne are also quite cheap and very frequent. Not only that, Melbourne has a thriving gay community with St Kilda, Fitzroy and Carlton being the neighbourhoods that are particularly gay friendly. You’ll be happy to know that Melbourne airport is very close to the city centre. The SkyBus runs every ten minutes and is one of the easiest ways to get into the city. Taxis are also readily available,

So, you and your partner have booked your cheap flights to Melbourne, you’ve packed your bags and are ready for a trip of a lifetime – just what are you going to do when you get there?

Since Melbourne is considered to be Australia’s premier cultural city there’ll be no surprise that it’s full of art galleries and museums such as the creepy but fun Old Melbourne Gaol Crime & Justice Experience, and the Melbourne Museum where you can learn about the history of the city and region. Melbourne is a wonderful place to enjoy a night out watching the latest musical or contemporary play at the Malthouse Theatre. Named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008 there are numerous bookshops scattered throughout the city and there are always book-related events taking place at the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas.

Outdoor Activities and Leisure Time

Melbourne is an attractive city with landscaped parks, rivers and a stunning bay area to explore. One of the best and most romantic ways of seeing the city is from a hot air balloon at dawn. If you’d prefer to keep your feet firmly on the ground then soak up the city’s sights on the Melbourne Heritage Walk or stroll along the Royal Botanic Gardens Trail. The Yarra River meanders through the city and then there are the sandy beaches along Melbourne’s coast offering couples the opportunity to go kiteboarding and windsurfing, kayaking and sailing. For wildlife enthusiasts or just big kids there’s the Melbourne Zoo with over 250 species of animals to be found within its landscaped grounds.

Melbourne Shopping

There are a variety of places to shop in Melbourne from large department stores to low key markets. In the city centre is Bourke Street Mall, home to Australia’s major department store, Myer. If you fancy shopping on a large scale then Chadstone, towards the outskirt of the city, has an incredible 530+ shops. A highlight of shopping in Melbourne is the markets. Treat your loved one to delicious fresh food from the Queen Vic Market, browse local artwork at Fitzroy’s Rose Street Artists’ Market, or see the creative goods from illustrators and jewellers at the wonderfully named Bend and Snap Market.

Eating Out and Entertainment

From A Taste of the Market street food festival, to high tea at The Vincent, Melbourne is awash with great places to eat. Tuck into the freshest catch of the day at the Beach House Seafood Restaurant, dine out at gay owned 2 Faces Restaurant or feast on Cantonese food at award-winning, Flower Drum. When darkness descends Melbourne really comes to life. Dance the night away at gay club, The Peel, enjoy drag shows at the GH Hotel, or chill out in the coffee lounge of Sircuit Bar.

Booking cheap flights to Melbourne is a smart move for any couple looking for a holiday to remember in Australia’s cultural and friendly city.

Although the city of Melbourne, Australia is located in very close proximity to the Southern Ocean, it’s oddly lacking in beaches, in spite of recent reports to the contrary RE: Mariah Carey’s bangin’ new beach bod.

The good news is that even if you don’t have time to visit the incredible Great Ocean Road, you can enjoy beach time without going far outside Melbourne. Take the train from Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station to the coastal suburb of Brighton, and walk toward the water.

Brighton Beach is close enough to central Melbourne to be considered a Melbourne beach
Two features of Brighton Beach stand out above all others: Its proximity to Melbourne, and the brightly-colored “bathing boxes” that dot its shores.

ALSO’s Boat People party is about to sail into Midsumma. Kaye Sera has a chat with the captains of the ship.

Q: It seems ALSO are getting back into the business of producing parties. What’s the thinking behind this?

A: ALSO’s ability to reach, challenge and engage people has been very tied to its ability to entertain people; whether people want us to be back in the community dance party game, we’re still testing the waters. So if you want us to be putting on parties for the whole community, BUY A TICKET!

Q: ALSO are no strangers to the party scene – care to share a potted history of the golden days down on the docks?

A: It should be widely known that ALSO held the first dance party in Australia (Rawhide 1981) and it steadily grew from there. By the end of the 80s, ALSO’s Red Raw was only rivalled by New York’s Big Gay Dance Party as one of the two best parties in world.

Mardi Gras started to take over in numbers in the early 90s, with ALSO’s numbers peaking at over 8,000 at the docklands in 96. At this stage it was also presenting ALSO’s NYE Party, Resurrection (Easter) and Winterdaze (Queens Birthday). These parties had budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

AN ESTIMATED 100,000 people thronged Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra yesterday for Carnival, the opening of Melbourne’s yearly queer arts and cultural festival, Midsumma, setting an attendance record.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu had been set to make history as the first premier to officially open the festival, but cancelled at the 11th hour so he could visit the state’s flood-affected towns.

He was represented instead by Minister for Mental Health and Community Services, Mary Wooldridge, who told the crowd Mr Baillieu “sent his sincerest apologies for not being here”.